


if by life or death I can save you, I will

by Lecrit



Series: Tumblr Prompts [5]
Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Battle Couple, Bickering, Demons, Demons are rude, Idiots in Love, M/M, Minor Injuries, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-06-27
Packaged: 2018-07-18 14:13:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7318450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lecrit/pseuds/Lecrit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His forehead was scrunched in concentration and Alec was reminded that, unlike himself, Magnus didn't have a stamina rune to protect him from exhaustion. He didn't seem too affected, though, and his attacks were only getting stronger, as if he was getting angrier and angrier every second the vile creatures spent ruining their night.</p><p>They moved in sync, finding a perfect rhythm in each other’s movements, flowing gracefully around one another in a deadly dance of combat.</p><p>Based on the Tumblr prompt:<br/>Malec as a Shadowhunter/Warlock Battle couple</p>
            </blockquote>





	if by life or death I can save you, I will

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Zaryzykuję życiem, jeśli cię to ocali](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8573122) by [Pomyluna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pomyluna/pseuds/Pomyluna)



> Hello cupcakes,
> 
> I am slowly but surely getting round to filling these prompts!
> 
> This is based on the following one:  
>  _Malec as a Shadowhunter/Warlock Battle couple_  
>  I LOVED it. Give me all the power couple fighting side by side and bickering while doing so. This is my jam.  
> Couples who fight together stay together.
> 
> I hope you cupcakes enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! ❤
> 
> Ps: Can you tell I'm a lotr nerd?
> 
> Ps²: Available on tumblr [here](http://lecrit.tumblr.com/post/146552450505/im-not-sure-if-youre-still-taking-prompts-or-not).

“Duck!”

The sharp sting of a Ravener demon whooshed past him as he dodged, barely avoiding a wild stab in the ribs. Alec turned swiftly, lodging his seraph blade straight into the demon’s chest before grabbing his fallen bow, immediately aiming an arrow at a Dahak demon.

“I had seen it,” he grumbled, releasing another arrow.

Magnus chuckled next to him, swirling to turn his back to Alec, blue sparks flickering dangerously between his fingers. He moved in a flourish and if Alec hadn’t been busy, he probably would have stared for hours at the way Magnus fought, his long and lean body seemingly dancing in complicated patterns that never failed to get him rid of his opponents.

“Of course you had, darling,” Magnus retorted.  “But I think you’re getting sloppy. I mean, not that I’m keeping count, but I’ve killed four more demons than you have and that’s not my daily job.”

He sent another blue fireball to a demon, the beast disappearing in a deafening shriek. “Five,” he said, throwing Alec a proud smirk over his shoulder.

“That’s not fair,” Alec protested. “You started without me.”

Magnus didn’t reply immediately. They had no respite, another group of demons already running their way. The flurry of arrows Alec released their way, combined with Magnus’ magic, was enough to keep them at bay for now.

“Only because you were late,” Magnus eventually countered, ducking to avoid a spurt of slobber from a demon with a disgusted pull of his lips.

“Are you seriously telling me off for being late for our date now?” Alec asked bemusedly, although it was underlined by an unmistakable fondness. “And I was only late because Isabelle wouldn’t let me leave with the outfit I had on.”

“You mean you randomly picked some outworn horrendous sweater out of the pile of outworn horrendous sweaters that compose your closet,” Magnus retorted, his voice a bit strained as he swirled to face his boyfriend, sending a wave of blue sparks behind Alec’s back, taking out yet another demon.

Alec aimed an arrow to a demon right behind Magnus, suddenly far closer to the warlock than they had been. “You don’t hate my sweaters that much when you’re the one wearing them,” he panted, looking straight into his eyes for only a second.

The mental image of Magnus wearing his clothing was dangerous for his concentration but Alec couldn’t keep it out of his mind. He always looked comfy and impossibly inviting when he wore Alec’s sweaters, the fabric stopping mid-thighs. Magnus usually wore them to lay on his couch when they managed to get a lazy day together - which was admittedly not often, with them being as busy as they were. It only made Alec cherish those moments all the more.

“I love your sweaters the best when they’re on my bedroom floor,” Magnus replied in a heartbeat, his eyes lighting up with mischief.

His forehead was scrunched in concentration and Alec was reminded that, unlike himself, Magnus didn't have a stamina rune to protect him from exhaustion. He didn't seem too affected, though, and his attacks were only getting stronger, as if he was getting angrier and angrier every second the vile creatures spent ruining their night.

They moved in sync, finding a perfect rhythm in each other’s movements, flowing gracefully around one another in a deadly dance of combat.

In the corner of his eye, Alec could see more demons arriving and he wondered inwardly when the reinforcements he had called for would arrive. Maybe they could still make it to dinner, somehow.

As if on cue, he saw Isabelle, Jace and Clary running in their direction. Luckily, Prospect Park was otherwise mostly deserted and the only mundanes present were far too drunk to pay attention to the clues that could have alerted them to the fight occurring besides them. 

“What happened?” Jace asked when he reached them, directing a strong jab to a demon’s chest, which disappeared with a loud shriek.

“The universe seems set on ruining our dating life,” Magnus replied. “That’s what happened.”

“You’re exaggerating,” Alec said.

“Fine,” Magnus retorted. “What happened was that Alec was late for our date and a bunch of demons thought they would make my wait exciting by attacking me.”

Alec rolled his eyes but stepped closer to Magnus, their attacks coordinated with pinpoint precision. He could easily imagine the picture they gave, an attuned confusion of sparkling power, arrows flying and shifting bodies.

“You’re just mad because I made up for lost time and now you’re not ahead of me anymore,” Alec countered, smirking proudly as one of his arrows took out two demons at once.

“I hate when you two do that,” Jace shouted, pausing a moment to look over the fighting couple. He quickly recovered, though, swiftly getting rid of the Ravener demon that had jumped at him. “You’re always bickering in the middle of battle and it sounds too much like foreplay for me to be comfortable.”

Magnus snorted. “You’re smarter than you look,” he taunted. “Post-battle sex is the best sex.”

Jace groaned while Clary and Isabelle chuckled, fighting side by side a bit further down the hill, Isabelle’s whip dancing in acute precision, slaying demons one by one.

Alec was distracted for a second, his mind focused on making sure his siblings were okay but he still saw, in the corner of his eye, the demon lunging itself at Magnus before Magnus could. He pushed him out of the way without thinking, his only worry being protecting Magnus.

It was something they had talked about, the way they both felt the urge to protect the other in the middle of combat, forgetting everything about their own safety. They had agreed that it was dangerous, how easily they could dismiss it for the other’s sake. They had also agreed that they couldn’t change it even if they tried.

It was clear, to them and to everyone who knew them even barely, that if one of them was hurt, it wouldn’t be because the other was hurt himself, it would be because the other was already dead.

With that thought in mind, Alec aimed his seraph blade at the demon’s chest, albeit just a second too late. The demon bashed into him full force, stabbing itself on the blade but Alec’s legs still failed him as he struggled for leverage, eventually falling to the ground with such violence that the air was knocked out of his lungs for a second.

He vaguely heard Magnus calling out his name in the distance but the shock of his fall had left his ears ringing unpleasantly and his eyes blind. He shook his head, clearing his sight just in time to see Magnus turning his back to him, a stream of blue sparks emerging from his fingers, dancing menacingly along his arms. The wave flew across the park at Magnus’ unspoken command, effectively knocking out the remaining demons, which disappeared into thin air in a collegial shriek.

Magnus was on him in a second, still radiating from the swirl of magic he had just released, his cat eyes shining with a mixture of worry and adrenaline.

“Alec, are you okay?” he breathed out, concern overlooking the exhaustion he certainly felt after such a display of power.

Alec coughed, sitting up to face Magnus who was kneeling in front of him, brow furrowed in fear.

“You couldn’t have done that from the start?” he teased, the corner of his lips quirking up.

Magnus chuckled and his worry eased visibly, his shoulders relaxing. Alec wondered inwardly how his boyfriend could come out of a battlefield looking like he was going to a fashion show, his makeup flawless, not a strand of hair out of place. Magnus’ hand shot up to tug a strand of hair out of Alec’s forehead, his movements gentle and impossibly tender, a million miles away from the deadly rigor with which he had battered their enemies.

“Why, darling, where would be the fun in that?” he retorted, a light smirk tugging at his lips.

Alec rolled his eyes, but the smile on his lips belied his true amusement. “You’re the worst,” he murmured.

“I won,” Magnus countered with a proud grin, pointing with his chin at the deserted park where the horde of demons had been moments ago. “I’m like thirteen ahead of you now.”

“You cheated,” Alec groaned, grabbing Magnus’ wrist to drop a kiss against his palm.

“You two are disturbing,” Jace said. He was standing a few feet away, staring at them with an annoyed, albeit fond, spark in his eyes. “I can literally feel the sexual tension. You have the weirdest kinks I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, if you think that’s weird, you should hear about the time Alec -”

Alec growled in warning but as Magnus was obviously not keen on shutting up, he chose another - much more effective - option. He brought a hand behind his neck and pulled him towards him. Magnus lost balance but found it again by gripping Alec’s biceps with one hand, the other clutching at his shirt. His surprised squeal was muffled by Alec’s lips on his.

Alec’s other hand went flat behind his back, pressing him closer against his chest, crowding him in the safe haven of his arms. Magnus straddled his hips, fingers twisting in Alec’s hair, turning the kiss into a hot and wet mess of lips and tongues and teeth.

“Oh, by the Angel,” Isabelle quipped, “not again. Get a room!”

Alec wasn’t sure when she and Clary had joined them but he didn’t really care as long as they were all okay. Alec pulled back to lean his forehead against Magnus’, holding him close, arms firmly looped around his waist, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

“Every time,” Jace added in a tone that suggested he had witnessed this exact same scene too much, too often. He probably had, Alec pondered to himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for him.

“Alec activated the possessive after-battle mode,” Clary chimed in. “He’s not going to hear anything you say. We should go. The park is safe now.”

He heard his siblings snort behind him but they obliged and Alec wondered why he hadn’t liked Clary at first. Clary was clearly one of his favorite persons on earth, especially right now. When they were gone, their loud chatter resonating through the park until they were properly out, Alec finally allowed himself to slightly loosen his grip on Magnus’ waist.

“Are you okay?” Magnus asked in a whisper, the tip of his fingers running on Alec’s features, along his cheekbones, his jaw line, the rim of his ear, ending up their exploration in his hair.

Alec nodded, planting an almost chaste kiss against his lips. “I’m sorry I was late and it ruined our one-year anniversary,” he said.

“We could still make it to the restaurant,” Magnus replied with a sweet smile. “Or -” he added mischievously, lining his hips with Alec’s in the best possible way, “- we could go back to my place, skip dinner and go straight to dessert. I’m not that hungry anyway. Well, not for food.”

Alec released a breathless laugh, leaning forward to nip at Magnus’ bottom lip, his eyes darkening when he heard Magnus’ lecherous gasp.

“Sounds good to me,” he mumbled, brushing their lips together.

Magnus was on his feet in a second and Alec would have been stunned by his eagerness if he hadn’t felt the same post-battle rush of excitement and adrenaline. Combined with the reassurance that the man he loved was safe, his mind still faintly swirling with concern, it always made Alec pliant to his desires after a battle. Magnus was okay and  _ that  _ was something to celebrate. Profusely.

To be fair, he was never aware of anything but Magnus after a battle, completely attuned to his movements, his well being, the gracious swirl of his body.

Overruling anything else was the knowledge that they were still standing, together.

And that as long as they were together, nothing could stop them.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr [@lecrit](http://lecrit.tumblr.com/) (yup, I changed my url) and on twitter [@_L_ecrit](https://twitter.com/_L_ecrit) ❤


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